THE AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER.' 241 



rapidly graduated; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner much elongated 

 and tapering. Tail short, rounded, of twelve rather broad, rounded 

 feathers. 



Bill vermilion, lighter at the base. Edges of eyelids vermilion; iris bright 

 yellow. Feet very pale flesh-colour; claws brownish-black. Head and 

 neck dull black, tinged with bluish-grey; lower eyelid white; the bases of 

 the feathers on the chin white. The general colour of the upper parts is 

 light greyish-brown, tinged with olive, and in certain lights with faint red- 

 dish-purple reflections; the edge of the wing, the tips of the secondary 

 coverts, the secondary quills, excepting the inner elongated ones, pure white; 

 as are the breast, sides, under wing-coverts, abdomen, sides of the rump, the 

 upper and the lower tail-coverts. Basal half of the tail white, the rest 

 greyish-brown, like the back. 



Length to end of tail 17^, to end of claws 19|; wing from flexure 10^, 

 tail 4i; extent of wings 36; bill along the back 3§; along the edge 3^; bill 

 at the base T 9 2 -, at the deepest part in the middle T 8 2-; naked part of tibia 1; 

 tarsus 2g; middle toe 1 T 8 2, its claw -ff. Weight 1 lb. 4^ oz. 



The bill varies considerably in length and depth. Individuals vary in 

 length from 17 to IS inches. 



The female is precisely similar to the male. 



One of many specimens preserved in spirits, a female, presents the follow- 

 ing particulars. The roof of the mouth is flat, with a median groove towards 

 the end; the palate with two longitudinal ridges covered with reversed 

 papillae; the posterior aperture of the nares linear, margined with papillae. 

 The tongue is short, 9^ twelfths long, triangular, tapering to a blunt point, 

 emarginate and papillate at the base, flat above, thin and fleshy. The oeso- 

 phagus, a b c d e, is 8^ inches long, at the upper part 9 twelfths in width, 

 but at the lower part of the neck dilated into an elongated sac or crop, 1 inch 

 10 twelfths wide; on entering the thorax it contracts to 9 twelfths. The 

 proventriculus, d e, is 1 ^ inches in breadth. The stomach, f g, is oblong, l|- 

 inches long, 1 inch 2 twelfths in breadth; its muscular coat thick, and dis- 

 posed into two lateral muscles of moderate strength; the epithelium tough, 

 dark red, with numerous longitudinal ruga?. The proventricular glands are 

 cylindrical, 2 twelfths long, forming a continuous belt 1% inches in breadth. 

 The contents of the stomach are testaceous mollusca, with a few fragments 

 of shells and opercula. The lobes of the liver are very unequal, the right 

 Z\ inches long, the left 2\. The intestine, g hj k, 58 inches long. It 

 forms the duodenal curve in the usual manner, then runs backward nearly 

 to the extremity, forms several folds or convolutions, then curves up over 

 the stomach, and passes directly to the anus. Its average width is 4 twelfths. 

 The cceca, / I, are 4i inches in length, their greatest width 3 twelfths, their 



